Friday Night Lights are back in the Flathead Valley and Northwest Montana, though a limited number of fans can watch the games in Libby and Columbia Falls and Thompson Falls.

This is preferable to the alternative.

“I’m just thankful we get to be in school and get to play,” said Libby coach Neil Fuller, whose players will be able to request tickets for family members and whose stadium will be limited to half its capacity. “Especially with all the other states that have moved their seasons to the spring.”

The Libby Loggers start with a game against Whitefish, in a battle of 2019 playoff teams.

Libby went 8-3 a year ago, including a 31-0 opening win over the Bulldogs, a 49-28 Class A playoff win over Butte Central and a 50-0 quarterfinal loss to Laurel.

Here’s a look at both teams as well as others in the area.

Libby Loggers

Some talented players return, led by running back Dawson Young and linebackers David Patterson and Ryker McElmurry. Jay Beagle returns at quarterback, and he’ll line up behind a rebuilt line that Fuller feels good about.

“Owen Wilkins is the lone senior – we actually lost four seniors on the offensive line,” said the coach. “But we have four juniors, and all four are very athletic. One, Ayden Williamson, srtated several games at fullback as a freshman and sophomore. He’s a big kid (280 pounds) that’s very athletic.”

Fuller also thinks highly of sophomore Cy Stevenson, who excelled at safety but is now a 205-pound defensive end. He’ll also play some running back and tight end; Hunter Hoover is going to play the other D-end.

Leading the defensive backfield is Ryder Davis.

Whitefish Bulldogs

The Bulldogs went 6-4 last fall, including a 34-7 playoff loss at Frenchtown. Camron Ross is a standout defensive end, and the defensive backfield looks stacked with Bodie Smith and Jaxsen Schlauch.

“Coach (Chad) Ross does a great job,” Fuller said. “They have a young quarterback (Fynn Ridgeway) who has a chance to be a great one. It’s going to be a challenge to stop their passing game, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Ridgeway is a sophomore who played in last year’s opener and then took over the signal-calling from there.

Smith and Schlauch double as receivers; Max Shestak is a senior running back and linebacker, and Jack Alton is a senior running back.

Columbia Falls Wildcats

“Last year was kind of a painful year for us,” said ninth-year head coach Jaxon Schweikert, whose club fell to 2-7. “We had to push so many kids into early playing time, when they should have been on the JV team. They got thrown to the wolves.

“But I think that really helped us going into this year.”

He’s looking for big things from junior Isaiah Roth, who as a 145-pound sophomore excelled in limited reps. Now he’s 170 pounds.

“He’s a bowling ball,” Schweikert said. “He looks really good.”

Up front there are Stevie Wilkinson, Alec Knapton and Cole Karlin; Karlin is banged up but will snap the ball to quarterback Mason Peters.

Cade Morgan, who moved over to running back last season, moves back to his more natural position, receiver, this fall. There is also standout kicker Niels Getss.

The Wildcats play host to Polson, which went 4-5 a year ago.

“That kid at quarterback (sophomore Jarett Wilson), he’s a great, great athlete,” Schweikert said. “He’ll be one of the better athletes in the stgate. Super twitchy, smart, throws the ball well but is really good with his feet.”

Schweikert bemoaned the injuries that slowed last year’s team – he's 54-22 at Columbia Falls, including the 2017 team that went 9-1 and won the State A title. He hopes the experience helps in 2020.

“We never really got up to the super-fast, super-aggressive, Wildcat type of football,” said the coach, who favors the no-huddle offense. “This team looks like it’s back to that norm.”

Eureka Lions

Eureka’s third State B championship in four seasons was helped greatly by a strong senior class, but the Lions are intent on reloading.

“We lost 11 really good seniors, so it will be a challenge to fill those shoes,” veteran head coach Trevor Utter said. “But we have a lot of kids eager to give that a shot.”

The Lions, who travel two hours to play Bonners Ferry, Idaho Friday, are working in a couple new running backs: 145-pound senior Gunnar Smith and his 175-pound brother, sophomore Tucker Smith. Gunnar is a three-time state champion wrestler.

“He’s a smaller-framed kid, but extremely quick and competitive and tough,” Utter said. “I think he’s going to have a great year.”

They’ll be running behind a pair of all-Western B linemen in Gavin Pilkington and Johnny Fehr, both juniors. Danny Dunn, another junior returning starter, also fortifies both the offensive and defensive lines.

The quarterback will be sophomore Caleb Utter, the coach’s son. He can throw to talented receivers Colter Casazza and Joey Kindel.

“It’s going to be a balanced attack,” Coach Utter said. “A lot of seniors have been kind of waiting in the wings on this team. They have some playing time but they’re ready to step in and see if they can do their thing.”

Eureka beat a young Bonners Ferry squad 35-0 to open last season. The Lions ended up 11-0, beating Manhattan 20-6 in the title game.

Bigfork Vikings

Bigfork, which went 3-6 a year ago, heads to Townsend Friday. The Bulldogs, coached by Travis Rauh, have become a perennial power.

‘They’re always in the playoffs,” Jim Benn, Bigfork’s first-year head coach, noted. “They return quite a few guys from what I understand. It will be a good chance to see where we stand.”

The Vikings, for the record, can darken a door or two – three linemen are in the 300-pound range.

“Up front we’re huge,” Benn said. “The line is anchored by Braeden Guse and Fletcher Postlewaite, and Sean Benson is the sole senior.”

They plan to make space for 205-pound fullback Levi Taylor and 190-pound tailback Cormac Benn, the coach’s son.

Patrick Wallen is the quarterback and he has capable targets in George Bucklin, Walker Fischer and tight end Isaac Bjorge. Bjorge also plays defensive end; Taylor and the younger Benn lead the linebacker crew and senior Isaac Epperly is a standout defensive back.